"You must do the thing you think you cannot do" Eleanor Roosevelt

As some of you know, Matt and I have entered a new stage in life, quite by accident. It all started as a way to lose weight - we just started walking. We got in the car one day and Matt said "As fast as you walk, you really should just run!" My reply was "Um - no! I am 34 and overweight! When I was 21 and skinny I didn't even run, why would I run now?" Matt didn't say anything and I thought it was over. The next day, Matt RUNS beside me! Most of you know that I am just slightly competitive and can NOT stand to lose, so I ran too. This has evolved into an obsession. Let me say, we are not fast - but we are faster than we were that first day. We do not have that pretty stride that most runners have, but it is prettier than it was that first day. And we have lost weight - at this point Matt has lost 35 pounds and I have lost 23. I feel like Forrest Gump at times
"That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going."

Once Matt and I started running, we have just not stopped.

Today marked a milestone in our running adventures......our very first 5k. It was a local run sponsored by The Gym and Miss Covered Bridge. It was a great way to start running in the race setting. We were in our hometown, running with our friends and we had sweet people cheering us on at the finish line. It really was a great day!

Matt, Davis and I before the race



Please notice that in most of our pictures, our sweet Jonathan is in the background! We love that kid SO much - even if he likes to sneak in our pics :)

Terri and I before the race. Terri is my best friend in the entire world, and really is more like my sister. She actually tried to get me to run a few years back. I didn't start with her and really regret it! She is now running half-marathons like a pro and I am just getting started. She has been such an encouragement to us. Two quick things about Terri: 1. She is Jonathan's (our background friend) mom 2. She was watching Davis tickle Matt in this picture.



I wish you could have been there when we started. Davis had his own little cheering crew. "Go Davis! Run buddy! You can do this!" It will forever be a sweet memory for me. As we neared the halfway mark and those fast runners headed back to the finish line, we passed some of our friends. The encouragement was amazing. I am sure big races are different, but we were giving high fives, people told us how great WE were doing (when they were passing us) It was a neat experience.

I didn't take any pictures during the race, but was able to snap a few afterwards. Here come Davis and Matt toward the finish line



When they got closer, Matt let Davis cross the finish line first. What a sweet Daddy!



"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." 
-John Bingham



Terri, LeeAnn and I after the race (that is not sweat on my shirt, it is from holding Davis' water bottle) LeeAnn works at the school where Terri teaches, and LeeAnn has also just started running. This is the definition of a true friend -Terri could probably have run this 5k twice in the amount of time it took LeeAnn and I, but she didn't! She ran with us the entire time, except for the little while she ran with Davis. When we neared the finish line, she refused to cross with us! She made us go first!



Terri and Davis



Davis and Dr. McKinney - our dentist. This man is the reason Davis wants to be a dentist. The best dentist around if you ask me!



Davis and Coach Russell. Coach Russell is the elementary PE teacher and every child loves him! He is very good at what he does. He takes the time to get to know each child and really invests in their lives, and it shows!



Mommy and Davis after the race




So there you have it! History in the making - the first of what I hope will be many races. We have a long way to go, but we have all the time in the world. And hey - just think - if I wasn't out there running, I would have been at home doing laundry! I think I will just keep things in perspective!